Ore concentrator



June 29, 1937. R. L. CLINE ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 M VI m 4 m 0 Q Q. m E w .TLNQ J, v 8 w W @v u S R m C. ww low M L T E Y Y V 0 B H W E Q G mm Q om Q a. N Q. @v x Q. m MN Nb on mw mm June 29, 1937. cLlNE 2,085,250

ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q PM L. CL/NE W) BY ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES.

: ORE CONCENTRATOR Roy L. Cline, Long Beach, Calif., assignorof onethird to James V. Burke and one-third to Frederick E. Cline, both of Long Beach, Calif.

Application August 2, 1935, Serial No. 34,472

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the recovery of valuable metals from their ores, and particularly to a concentrator which utilizes the dry process of separation.

An object of the invention centrator structurally characterized in a manner to insure maximum recovery of valuable metal particles by the dry process, which is enabled to be 7 carried on in a continuous operation of the concentrator over a relatively long period of time so as to reduce to a minimum the shut-down periods in order to clear the rii'lies of valueless material which when accumulatedin suflicient quantity causes the values to pass over the'riiiles and be lost.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide in an ore concentrator riflles of reticulated or screen construction which in conjunction with a novel mode of actuating the riille board, permit particles of such small size as to be of no practical value in their gold bearing content, to pass through the riilies so that.the riflies will not become filled with such valueless particles and will trap the maximum quantity of gold.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ore concentrator embodying means for preliminarily separating allmagnetizable substances from the material to be treated so that such substances will not reach the rifile board and detract from the efiiciency of the 'riilles.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combinations, arrangements, and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing in vertical longitudinal section the ore concentrator embodying this invention;

"Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2+2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is swim in side elevation partly broken away, and illustrating novel driving mechanism for the riflle boards;

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6- -6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical circuit for an electro-magnet embodied in the invention to separate the magnetizable substances from the material under treatment.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the inis to provide a con- (Cl. ale-442) vention comprises a frame ill in which is journaled an'electro-magnetic .wheel II and an idler pulley i2 over both of which is trained an endless belt i3 of non-magnetic material such as brass, to provide upper and lower horizontally disposed stretches i4 and i5 onto the former of which is deposited from a hopper IS the metalliferous material to be treated.

In the present instance, the wheel ii is driven in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 by an electric motor l1 or any other suitable form of prime mover to the drive shaft of which is fixed a pulley i8 having a belt connection I! with a pulley fixed to a countershaft 2i iournaled in the frame l0. Also fixed to thecountershaft 2| is a relatively small pulley 22, having a beltconnection 23 with a larger pulley 24 fixed to a jack shaft 25 also journaled in the frame. To the jack I shaft 25 is also fixed a relatively small pulley 28 having a belt connection 21 with a pulley 28 fixed to the shaft 29 of the wheel i I, all to the end that when 'the motor is in operation the material deposited on the belt i3 will be advanced and be distributed in a substantially uniform layer over the width of the belt by a spreader 30 having a number of depending spaced apart fingers 3| supported in the'path of the material on the belt.

The electro-magnetic wheel is composed of a multiplicity of disk laminations 32 clamped together on the shaft 29 between a shoulder 33 on the latter and a nut 34 on the threaded portion 35 of the shaft as shown in Figure 6. The laminations'32 are radially slotted to provide a number of cores 36 which, together with a continuous or series winding 31 from one core to the next in reverse directions, provide electro-magnets around theentire periphery and along the full widthof the wheel, the relatively reversed winding of successive cores providing alternate north and south poles. One end of the winding 31 is connected to a collector ring 38 fixed to the shaft 23 and to which current is fed from a source of current supply 39 through a brush 40 contacting the ring. The opposite end of the winding is grounded to the frame Ill through the shaft 29, and the other side of the current source is also g ounded so that when a switch 4! is closed, current will be supplied to the series of electro-magnets. Thus, with the wheel I i being driven, it will be clear that as the metalliierous material is advanced on the belt l3 into the magnetic fields of the magnets, all magnetizable particles will be carried around on the belt to the lowerstretch i5 until they are beyond the range of the magnetic field, at which location these magnetizable particles gravitate into a discharge conduit 42.

The remainder of the metalliferous material containing the values gravitates from the belt l3 into a chute 43 from which the material gravitates onto the upper end of one of a number of rifiie boards, oftwhich two designated generally at 44 and 45 are shown, in the present instance. However, it isto be understood that a greater number may be provided without involving invention.

The riiile boards are mounted in a rectangular frame 46 composed of longitudinal channel members 4'|-'4'| and cover plates 4848, the former of which are rigidly tied together in spaced parallel relationship by transverseangle members 49-49. The frame 46 is freely mounted by roller bearings 50 -50 to pivot on a drive shaft 5| journaled in bearings, 52 on the vertical members 53 of the main frame In, all as clearly shown in Figure 2. This. pivotalmounting of the riille board supporting frame 46 enables. the inclina-v tion of the frame and hence of the riflle boards to befvariedj in accordance with variations of the.

moisture content of the ore inorder to effect maximum-recovery of the values. The frame can be clamped-inany selected position of angular adjustment by clamp screws 5454 projecting from the frame through arcuate slots 5 -55 in the frame members 53, and having handled clamping nuts 5656 threaded thereon as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

.The riflle boards 44 and 45 are of similar construction and each has its riflle forming bottom 51 composed of a sheet of reticulated material such as extremely fine mesh metallic screening. The bottoms are each rigidly supported in the time forming shape shown in Figure 1 by longitudinal side walls 58 and intermediate longitudinal partitions 59 which co-act with the steps of the rillies to divide the bottoms 5"! both longitudinally and transversely to form, compartments arranged in rows along the lengths of the bottoms. v I The riflle boards 44 and 45- are supported between the members53 of the frame by rods 60-60 and 6|--6|, respectively, theside walls 59 and partitions 59 of the board 44 being slotted at 62 to receive the rods 60, andthe board 45 resting on the rods 6|. The boards are confined between collars 63 fixed to the rods; and the rods are mounted in bearings 64 in the members 41 for reciprocating movement axially in order to reciprocate the boards transversely.

The boards are reciprocated by'the following mechanism, including thedrive shaft5| to which is fixed at one end between, the respective member 4'! and cover plate 48 a pulley 65 having a belt connection 66 witha pulley 61 fixed to the countershaft 2| so that when the motor 11 is in operation, the shaft 5| willbe rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1.

Journaled in bearings 68-68 on the members 41 are rock shafts 69 and 'HL'the axes of which are disposed longitudinally of and parallel to the riflle boards. Fixed to the rock shafts are flexible spring arms-1| and l2,'respectively, the opposite ends of which bear against'the ends of the rods 60 and 6| Shorter flexible spring-adjusting arms 13 overlie the arms II and I2 and are secured to the respective rock shafts by screws 14'which' enable the adjusting arms to exert greater or less stress against theactuating arms H and "in order to vary the flexibility thereof.

The shaft 69 is adapted to be rocked in reenable the angularity of the hub to be varied and a selected position of angular adjustment maintained.

A yoke 1! is fixed to the rock shaft 69, and its arms '18 are pivotally connected by studs 19 to the hub through the medium of a ball bearing structure 80., The inner race 81 of such structure is fixed on the hub, and the outer race 82 is provided with diametrically opposed recesses,83

receiving the inner rounded ends of the studs 19, which latter are threaded into the yoke arms 18 and are locked-by jam nuts 84. It follows that as the drive shaft 5| is rotated, the angularly disposed hub 15 in rotating with the shaft, will convert the rotary motion of the shaft into a rocking motion at the yoke 11. so as to rock the shaft169. v The rocking movement thus imparted to the arms II by the shaft 69 will effect reciprocation of the rods 60 and 6| in relatively reversed directions. It will be appreciated that the other rock shaft 10. and its arms 12 co-act with the rods at the other ends of the latter'to actuate the rods in the opposite directions.

The operation of the invention is as follows:

Assuming that current is being supplied to the motor l1 and to the electro-magnetic wheel I l, and that the metalliferous material to be treated is discharging from the hopper. l6 onto the upper stretch M of the belt I3, it will beclear that all magnetizable particles in the material will be held on the belt as the remainder of the material discharges into the chute 43 and thence onto the upper rifile board, so that the magnetizable particles will be deposited in the discharge conduit 42,- I

As the upper and lower riflie boards 44 and 45 are being reciprocated rapidly in directions transverse with respect to their lengths, the values 1 will collect in the riffles of the bottoms 57. All those particles which are so small as to pass through the mesh of the upper rifile board willbe subjected to further concentrating by the lower r iille board.

The mesh of the lower rifile board, which it will be remembered is finer than that of the upper rifiieboard, is calculated to permit the passage of all particles which are so minute as to be of no practical value in their gold bearing content, so that the riilies will not become filled with such valueless particles and are thus utilized with maximum efliciency to collect, practically all the values in the material. The extremely small partices which pass through the mesh of the lower riflle board gravitate into an inclined tray 85 and thence into a discharge conduit 86 for further treatment if desired. What is claimed is: 1. In an ore concentrator, a plurality .of riflie boards having reticulated riflle forming bottoms; reciprocably mounted rods on which the riflie boards are supported for reciprocating movement transverse with respectto the lengths of the boards; a pair of rock shafts; arms on the rock shafts engaging said rods to reciprocate the latter when one of the shafts is actuated; and means for actuating said one of the rock shafts.

2. In an ore concentrator, a plurality of riflle boards having reticulated rliile forming bottoms; reciprocably mounted rods on which the riflle boards are supported for reciprocating movement transversely with respect to the lengths of the boards; a pair of rock shafts; arms on said rock shafts engaging said rods to reciprocate the latter when one of the shafts is actuated; and means for actuating said one of the rock shafts, including a drive shaft on which the riflle boards are mounted to tilt in order to vary the inclination thereof in a direction longitudinally of the boards.

3. In an ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods spanning and reciprocably mounted by said members; riflle boards supported by the rods between the frame members for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; means for operatively connecting the rods to the rock shafts so that "the rods will be reciprocated upon actuation of the shafts; and actuating means for the shafts.

4. In an ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods spanning and reciprocably mounted by said members;

riflle boards supported by the rods between the frame members for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; arms fixed ,to the rock shafts and engaging the rods to reciprocate the latter when the shafts are actuated; a drive shaft journaled in the frame members; and means for rocking one of the rock shafts when the drive shaft is rotated.

5. In an ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods spanning and reciprocablymounted by said members; riifie boards supported by the rods between the frame members" for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; arms fixed to the rock shafts and engaging the rods to reciprocate the latter when the shafts are actuated; a drive shaft journaled in the frame -members; a yoke fixed to one of the rock shafts;

means swiveled in the yoke and mounted on the drive shaft at an angle to the axis of the latter, for rocking said one of the rock shafts when the drive shaft is rotated.

6. -In an ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods span- 5 ning and reciprocably mounted by said members; riflle boards supported by the rods between the frame members for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; arms fixed to the rock shafts and engaging the rods to reciprocate the latter when the shafts are actuated; a drive shaft journaled in the frame members with its axis intersecting the axis of at least one of the rock'shafts; a yoke fixed to said one of the rock shafts; a hub mounted on the drive shaft with its axis disposed at an angle to the axis of the shaft; and an anti-friction bearing structure mounted on the hub and swiveled in the yoke in order for said one of the rock shafts to be rocked when the drive shaft is rotated.

7. In an ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods spanning and reciprocably mounted by said members; riflle boards supported by the rods between the frame members for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; arms fixed to the rock shafts and engaging the rods to reciprocate the latter when the shafts are actuated; a drive shaft journaled in the frame members with its axis intersecting the axis of at least one of the rock shafts; a yoke fixed to said one of the rock shafts; a hub mounted on the drive shaft with its axis disposed at an angle to the axis of the shaft; an anti-friction bearing structure mounted on the hub and swiveled in the yoke in order for said one of the rock shafts to be rocked when the drive shaft is rotated; and means by which the angularity of the hub on the drive shaft can be varied and the hub fixed in a selected position of angular adjustment in order to vary the rocking motion transmitted to said one of the rock shafts.

8. In an. ore concentrator, a frame including spaced apart longitudinal members; rods spanning and reciprocably mounted by said members; riflle boards supported by the rods between the frame members for reciprocating movement transversely; rock shafts mounted on said frame members to extend longitudinally thereof; arms fixed to the rock shafts and engaging the rods to reciprocate the latter when the shafts are actuated; a drive shaft journaled in the frame members and upon which the frame can tilt to vary the inclination of the riifle boards in a direction longitudinally thereof; means by which the frame can be secured in various tilted positions; and means for rocking one of said rock shafts when the drive shaft is rotated.

ROY L. CLINE. 

